New blacktop mandolin in WRC and Tawhai (NZ Red Beech

Posting a few pics of my latest build. Western Red cedar top, flamed Tawhai (New Zealand Red Beech) back, sides and neck, ebony fingerboard and headstock overlay, handmade brass tailpiece and black mother of pearl inlay. it's got a 30mm nut, and a 10" radius fretboard. I'm sure I've said this before last time and then didn't do it, but I'll try to put a sound clip on the youtubes at some point soon. It's a bit of a cannon - I'm using it to cut down fiddle players in my local session... ;)

New Zealand native timbers bring something pretty special and unique to a build. I've got a bit more of this beech in my stash, so if you want something with a point of difference from all the (admittedly beautiful) maple out there please do get in touch.

Very nice, Davy. Nice modern design and I love the way the woods look. What would be the equivalent to the back wood in North American woods?

Thanks Jim! Appreciate the kind words. It is amazing timber. Looking at various web sources it looks pretty close to a sugar maple - nearly as hard, and theoretically more stable once dried. It was used a lot for flooring here as it's pretty and tough. Another closely related species is NZ Siler Beech, which is also sometimes called maple beech.

Clean and modern design, Davy. I love that tailpiece too.

... To say nothing of that fantastic headstock icon! I really like your aesthetic, Davy, the traditional and the modern are all working together organically.

https://youtu.be/8cfKOeyajxc

Here's the instrument in action in Edinburgh in the hands of Kevin Mcleod. And in NZ in my considerably less skilled hands.

https://youtu.be/pcz8DKThSKk